Bishop Susan’s Reflection on the Presidential Election
All my hope on God is founded; he doth still my trust renew,
Me through change and chance he guideth, only good and only true.
God unknown, he alone calls my heart to be his own.
Mortal pride and earthly glory, sword and crown betray my trust;
Though with care and toil we build them, tower and temple fall to dust.
But God’s power, hour by hour, is my temple and my tower.
(Hymnal 1982 #665)
As our country wakes up to the results of a consequential election, Americans are deeply divided. In our church, some Episcopalians are happy with the results, but many others are fearful, anxious, grieving, dreading what is to come and worried about themselves and their neighbors. Today I write to all of us, to encourage us to come together in faith, hope, and love.
Faith does not mean certainty; faith means we trust God to guide us through all the challenges before us. Hope is not the same as optimism that everything will go our way; hope means we know God can bring light into the deepest darkness. Love does not mean pleasant feelings; love means a decision we make over and over to put the welfare of others first, to work for the benefit of our neighbors, and to walk in the way that Christ showed us in his life, death, and resurrection.
This is a time for us to place our hope in God. Worldly leaders have never been our savior; Christ is our savior. A time of struggle and disagreement is a time for the church to remember our deepest calling: to follow Jesus in the Way of Love. The Way of Love does not have to be meek and unassuming; it can call us to speak out to protect the vulnerable and work for justice. This time of division in our country is a time for us to stand together as the Body of Christ and stay vigilant in our care for those who suffer. It is a time to work to bridge disagreements. It is a time to practice respectful listening and reconciliation with each other inside the church, and to provide an example of reconciliation to the wider world. It is a time to remember that we follow the God of hope, and our hope in Christ will never fail us.
And it is a time for prayer. We pray that God will bring our country together through all its current divisions and disagreements, that the rights of all will be protected and that the church’s witness may be strong. We pray for our president-elect and our elected leaders at all levels of government, that God may strengthen their minds and hearts to know the Way of Love. We pray for our Church and ourselves, that we may always follow Jesus where he leads us.
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Prayer for the Human Family, BCP p. 815)
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Grateful for your wise words at this critical time. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this.
Sharon
If God is truly in charge of our lives as we have submitted ourselves to his care, who is to say the results of this election isn’t his will? The winner certainly wasn’t my candidate, but neither was his opponent. Yet again my choice didn’t run this time. Voters can only work with the choices we get. So it is up to all Americans to accept the results and quit in-fighting against one another and get on with living our lives by taking care of one another as Jesus would want us to do.
Thank you Bishop Susan for these comforting words at a time when so many of us are deeply troubled about community, relationship, and seeing God in each and every one we encounter.
Thanks Bishop Susan for the words of faith, hope and love that we need in this time of division crisis.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
In Christ name.
From St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Irving TX.
Tony+
Thank you Bishop Susan for your wise, compassionate prayers!
Thank you, Bishop Susan.
Your reflection is important and meaningful.
Grateful for your hard work and encouraging words. S.
Concur, remain focused on the will of One much greater than the rulers of nations and any political party. Thank you fot reminding us of a foundational belief in the Christian faith
Thank you, Bishop Susan, for your inspiring and hopeful message during this time. Your words lift the spirit and remind us of the importance of faith and unity, regardless of outcomes. I deeply appreciate your guidance and the comfort it brings as we move forward together.
In peace & Gratitude,
Misty
Thank you, Bishop Susan, for you non-political and unbiased response to our recent election and for pointing us to our God, who is above and over it all, and loves and works with each one of us, wherever we are at